Dumfries & Galloway Council approves 97.4% of planning applications, based on 23,400 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Dumfries & Galloway sits 8.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,216 decided applications, Dumfries & Galloway Council approved 94.4% of planning applications in 2025. Across 23,400 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Dumfries & Galloway is 97.4%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Dumfries & Galloway council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Dumfries & Galloway.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 21,392 | 528 | 21,920 | 97.6% |
| Full | 741 | 49 | 790 | 93.8% |
| Prior Approval | 289 | 0 | 289 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 142 | 10 | 152 | 93.4% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 130 | 7 | 137 | 94.9% |
| Trees | 74 | 0 | 74 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 33 | 1 | 34 | 97.1% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0.0% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dee And Glenkens | 2,659 | 76 | 2,735 | 97.2% |
| Mid Galloway And Wigtown West | 2,467 | 78 | 2,545 | 96.9% |
| Annandale North | 2,184 | 59 | 2,243 | 97.4% |
| Mid And Upper Nithsdale | 2,160 | 61 | 2,221 | 97.3% |
| Annandale East And Eskdale | 2,000 | 42 | 2,042 | 97.9% |
| Castle Douglas And Crocketford | 1,829 | 55 | 1,884 | 97.1% |
| Annandale South | 1,581 | 42 | 1,623 | 97.4% |
| Nith | 1,535 | 27 | 1,562 | 98.3% |
| Abbey | 1,491 | 54 | 1,545 | 96.5% |
| Stranraer And The Rhins | 1,478 | 57 | 1,535 | 96.3% |
| Lochar | 1,304 | 24 | 1,328 | 98.2% |
| Mid Galloway | 1,074 | 9 | 1,083 | 99.2% |
| North West Dumfries | 641 | 11 | 652 | 98.3% |
How Dumfries & Galloway’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 1.8pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Dumfries & Galloway council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/1094/FUL Stranraer And The Rhins | ERECTION OF PORCH TO FRONT ELEVATION AND EXTENSION TO REAR ELEVATION OF DWELLING | Approved |
| 26/1048/FUL Abbey | ERECTION OF AGRICULTURAL BUILDING | Approved |
| 26/0949/FUL Castle Douglas And Crocketford | ERECTION OF STORAGE BUILDING AND FILTER ROOM AND ASSOCIATED WORKS (RETROSPECTIVE | Approved |
| 26/0897/FUL Mid Galloway And Wigtown West | INSTALLATION OF ROOF MOUNTED SOLAR PANELS TO EAST ELEVATION OF DWELLINGHOUSE | Approved |
| 26/0951/FUL Annandale South | ERECTION OF DWELLINGHOUSE (CLASS 9), FORMATION OF VEHICULAR ACCESS, INSTALLATION | Approved |
| 26/0796/FUL Mid Galloway And Wigtown West | ALTERATIONS INCLUDING BLOCKING UP OF EXISTING ENTRANCE AND FORMATION OF NEW ENTR | Approved |
| 26/1192/LBC Stranraer And The Rhins | REINSTATEMENT OF INTERNAL DOORWAY TO AMALGAMATE 2 DWELLINGHOUSES INTO 1 DWELLING | Approved |
| 26/1018/FUL Annandale North | INSTALLATION OF 2 NO. 100KW BIOMASS BOILERS, REPLACEMENT FLUE AND ASSOCIATED WOR | Approved |
| 26/0669/LBC Nith | LATE LISTED BUILDING CONSENT FOR INTERNAL ALTERATIONS TO FORM TWO EN-SUITE BEDRO | Approved |
| 26/1097/FUL Abbey | ALTERATIONS AND ERECTION OF EXTENSION TO REAR ELEVATION OF DWELLINGHOUSE | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Dumfries & Galloway's 23,400 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Dumfries & Galloway's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Dumfries & Galloway's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Dumfries & Galloway. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 23,400 real decisions from Dumfries & Galloway council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Dumfries & Galloway's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 23,400 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Dumfries & Galloway is 97.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 23,400 planning decisions from Dumfries & Galloway council. 22,801 were approved and 599 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Dumfries & Galloway is 97.4%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Dumfries & Galloway? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.